1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating device, an authentication device and an image forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Control systems which employ IC cards incorporating IC chips with digital data have been developed recently. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, First Publication No. 2006-195888, for example, discloses a printing system including an image processing device that reads operating data from a non-contact IC card (contactless IC card) where the operating data is stored and execute an image forming job to form an image based on the operating data. Meanwhile, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, First Publication No. H2-293764 discloses a technique for controlling the operation of an image processing device utilizing an IC card from which operating data is sent to the image processing device. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, First Publication No. 2006-86738 discloses a technique for activating a non-contact IC chip incorporated in a mobile device by a user who operates predetermined keys so as to use the IC chip more safely and in particular to prevent accesses to the mobile device by unauthenticated users.
In the above-described related art, the data read from the IC card serves as the operating data for various control processing. If a non-contact IC card is employed, displacement data of the non-contact IC card may be used as the operating data in addition to the data stored therein. There is thus room for improvement in the use of the displacement data of the non-contact IC card as the second operating data in addition to the data stored therein.
Some image forming devices, such as a multi-functional peripheral, include an authentication system that uses non-contact IC cards in order to improve printing management. The image forming devices are often shared by multiple users in, for example, workplaces. Suppose that an office employee enters an instruction for printing on a customer's personal computer. He may place his employee ID card (incorporating a non-contact IC chip) on a separately provided card reader. The card reader reads data from the IC card to authenticate the printing. With this authentication system, it is less likely that a printed matter will be left in the image forming device and thus the users can manage their printing in a reliable way. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, First Publication No. 2007-4372 discloses an example of such the authentication system that employs non-contact IC cards. In the disclosed system, a control device permits usage of an image forming device only when an authentication ID read from a non-contact IC card is in agreement with a previously registered authentication ID.
In the above-described related art, the user is authenticated based on the data read by the card reader from the non-contact IC card. In case of loss of the non-contact IC card, however, a third party who inadvertently obtained the IC card and attempts to cause the card reader to read the data from the IC card may also be authenticated.